Thiruvananthapuram: Medical PG students held a token strike on Friday in protest against the delay in arresting the husband of a deceased patient who physically assaulted a female doctor, even two days after the incident at the Medical College here.
The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) and Indian Medical Association (IMA) have also come out in support of the strike.
The KGMCTA office-bearers said if the culprit is not immediately arrested and the follow-up action is not taken, the association will be forced to join the strike by the PG students.
IMA also demanded stern action against such violent incidents at hospitals.
The doctor, who was subjected to the assault, is undergoing treatment at the hospital. The video, which shows the husband of the patient coming out from the ICU after assaulting the doctor, is now out.
The husband kicked the doctor after his wife, who was undergoing treatment in the Neuro ICU, died.
IMA state president Sulphi Noohu said in a social media post the assaulted doctor told him she was planning to leave the country and did not wish to continue in the profession.
The full version of Dr Sulphi’s post
“I don’t want this job. I also don’t want to be a neurosurgeon…. not even the doctor’s job. I’m leaving the country”!
The teary eyed lady doctor told me this . This was after a healthy man kicked on her underbelly with all his strength.
Earlier, the patient was in an extremely critical condition after being inflicted with a brain tumor.
A surgery was done and the doctors at the Neurosurgery wing tried hard day and night to save her life. Despite this, the patient’s condition worsened, and she finally succumbed to the ailment.
When the doctor informed the unfortunate incident to the patient's relative waiting outside the ICU at 1 am early morning, he suddenly kicked on her underbelly forcefully. We can clearly see this in the CCTV footage.
That, too, at the super specialty block of the Neurosurgery ICU of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical college that functions round the clock. This is the second attack on lady doctors in the capital city in one month. Where is Kerala heading to? Such attacks at hospitals should not be tolerated at any cost.
I can only bow my head before those asking what to do if a patient or his/her relatives suspects a treatment lapse. There are legal procedures in such cases. If someone again indulges in such a brutal attack on doctors, then we will react, react strongly!
